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by Ms. Julie Smith, a member of the Gilbert Public Schools Governing Board elected in November of 2012. Artwork by Miss Natalie Smith, an eighth grade student at Gilbert Classical Academy, a Gilbert Public School.

Gilbert voters will be making some serious decisions in a few days: 1) Should I vote YES or NO to increasing my Primary property taxes through an override? 2) Should I vote YES or NO to increasing my Secondary taxes by helping to pay for a $98 million bond? This article addresses question #1. (Ballots will be mailed in the next few days. For Gilbert Public School's (GPS) extensive publicity on this Special Election, click HERE.)

The Override

If you vote YES to the Gilbert Public Schools override, because you believe the following Pro Argument statement made by Mr. Justin Plumb, you will be casting your vote based on seriously deceptive information.

“...with only one 1.6% raise and no movement on the salary schedule for experience in seven years it’s no wonder many teachers are leaving Gilbert and moving to other districts.“

Last year, the media and Gilbert Education Association shouted from the rooftops: "Teachers are fleeing Gilbert Schools, and it's all the fault of the Conservative Board"!

This year, after ginning up Gilbert voters, they got rid of those evil, fiscally responsible Conservatives and replaced them with for-the-public-good Leftists. The result? There are way more resignations. What do we hear from the media and union? Silence.

Except for one thing. Now they are shouting from the rooftops: "We need to pass an override! Yes, that's it. We NEED MORE MONEY"!

The problem is this. Even when GPS has the money, the big-important-highly-paid Grand Poobahs don't reward their teachers.

By the time you read this, the Gilbert School Board may have already voted on whether or not to include certain books on the reading list for K-12. However, if you missed weighing in this time, there will be many more opportunities. Issues relating to the deterioration of virtue and morality in the public schools crop up on a regular basis.

Ms. Michelle Anderson ran an excellent campaign for Higley School board. She lost by only 93 votes. With the recent resignation of board member Denise Standage, one would think that Ms. Anderson would be the most likely person to fill the position. However, Higley's Superintendent Dr. Birdwell and Board President Venessa Whitener ignored her and submitted three other names to the Maricopa County School Superintendent Don Covey for consideration.

Please read Ms. Anderson's statement below, and then send an email to Dr. Covey and copy Maricopa County Supervisor Denny Barney, asking that Ms. Anderson be chosen. Here are their email addresses: Don.Covey@mcesa.maricopa.gov and barneyd@mail.maricopa.gov.

Superintendent Covey is not required to select one of the three names submitted. The next step as far as the County is concerned is to hold a Nominee Seminar as a kind of combination training and job interview. Superintendent Covey has to choose the new Board member within a week after the Nominating Seminar.

Superintendent Covey will be inclined to pick from Dr. Birdwell's list. The only way it will turn out differently is if voters let their voices be heard!